Fani devastation: Pilgrims, tourists to miss milk-made sweet dishes

Bhubaneswar: Tourists who would relish Malai Chapati (Sarapuli) and Rabidi made from milk in Odisha’s pilgrim city Puri, may no longer find these items adequately in the their next visits. With livestock sector bearing the brunt of the ravaging cyclone Fani that hit Puri and other adjoining coastal Odisha districts on May 3, there is lot of apprehension of huge shortage of milk, the key raw material for the preparation these sweet dishes.

Puri and its adjoining Nayagarh districts in Odisha, with  their huge grasslands and paddy fields, always provided for an ideal environment for livestock farming. However, this sector now stands nearly completely ravaged in the cyclone.

“Malai Chapati or Sarapuli is made mainly with milk cream and other ingredients. This cream added to chapatti and served to the tourists with elaichi (cardamom) powder sprinkled on it. The sweetest of all the dishes is Rabidi which is made from milk and sugar. Rasgolla is another sweet dish which is made in large-scale here,” says Nabaghan Mohapatra, a Malai Chapati vendor, of Puri. “When you are in Puri, you cannot miss the opportunity to treat your taste buds with its own sweet dishes. Milk-made sweet dishes like Sarapuli, Rabidi, Khoya, Khira and Khirsagar are always hot favourites with pilgrims and tourists. The tourists and pilgrims will now miss all these items,” adds Mohapatra.

According to state government’s official sources, 2571 livestock (cows, buffaloes and bullock); 2803 goat and sheep have been killed in Fani.

The trail of devastation also left 41.62 poultry birds dead. The destruction of shelters in Fani affected areas has become a major concern, says Purabi Patra, founder of the Animal Welfare Trust Ekamra, Bhubaneswar.

Purabi lost 15 animals in Fani after after the asbestos of her animal shelter situated was blown away by strong winds.

Members of the animal welfare groups in Odisha have urged the people and Government of Odisha to help in rebuilding the livestock farming in the state. They have also urged for immediate medication and vaccination so that the survived animals would live healthy.

Animal experts apprehend a high chance of livestock resources getting further affected due to possible outbreak of diseases like deficiency of minerals and vitamins. “In such post-calamity conditions, cattle develop the anaemic deficiency. Now, they need of minerals and vitamins to make up for lack of proper and nutritious food,” the experts maintain.